Default Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts List

I give a lot of tips about adding and changing keyboard shortcuts in OS X. Sometimes you may want to know what the default shortcuts are so you can restore your own, or simply as a reference. Here is the standard keyboard shortcuts list and information from Apple.com:

To use a keyboard shortcut, or key combination, you press a modifier key with a character key. For example, pressing the Command key (the key with a symbol) and the “c” key at the same time copies whatever is currently selected (text, graphics, and so forth) into the Clipboard. This is also known as the Command-C key combination (or keyboard shortcut).

A modifier key is a part of many key combinations. A modifier key alters the way other keystrokes or mouse clicks are interpreted by Mac OS X. Modifier keys include: Command, Control, Option, Shift, Caps Lock, and the fn key (if your keyboard has a fn key).

Here are the modifier key symbols you can see in Mac OS X menus:

(Command key) – On some Apple keyboards, this key also has an Apple logo () (Control key) (Option key) – “Alt” may also appear on this key (Shift key) (Caps Lock) – Toggles Caps Lock on or off fn (Function key)

Startup keyboard shortcuts

Press the key or key combination until the expected function occurs/appears (for example, hold Option during startup until Startup Manager appears, or Shift until “Safe Boot” appears). Tip: If a startup function doesn’t work and you use a third-party keyboard, connect an Apple keyboard and try again.

(*) Note: If no text is selected, the extension begins at the insertion point. If text is selected by dragging, then the extension begins at the selection boundary. Reversing the direction of the selection deselects the appropriate unit.

Note: You may need to enable “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard keys” in Keyboard preferences for the VoiceOver menu and utility to work.

Universal Access – Mouse Keys

When Mouse Keys is turned on in Universal Access preferences, you can use the keyboard or numeric keypad keys to move the mouse pointer. If your computer doesn’t have a numeric keypad, use the Fn (function) key.

Additional Information

Advanced: This article refers to the default modifier key assignments. Modifier key assignments can be changed in the Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane of System Preferences. For example, you can change the Command key to act as an Option key, and vice-versa. You can also restore default modifier key settings.